"Less Attraction to Half After COVID-19"... Be Especially Careful of 'Infidelity' This September?

Return to Office in England Sparks Surge in Workplace Romance... 54% Reconsider Partner Relationships Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] This September is likely to be recorded as a month of affairs, especially. Of course, this is a story not about South Korea but about the United Kingdom.

In the UK, as more office workers return to their workplaces after summer vacations in September and the work-from-home arrangements forced by COVID-19 are decreasing,

there are unexpected side effects emerging, according to a recent survey commissioned by IllicitEncounters, the UK's largest dating site for married people. Workplace romances have surged since September began.

This is not limited to singles. Among married people who had not even glanced sideways for over a year due to various COVID-19 restrictions, affairs are also increasing.

Experts say that it is common for the number of people having affairs to increase after the summer vacation season. However, experts predict that this autumn will see a particularly sharp rise.

One notable finding from this survey is the sharp increase in people who are bored with their current partners and are looking around.

When 2,000 IllicitEncounters members were asked, 70% of respondents thought it would be easier to have flings with colleagues once they returned to the office.

Moreover, 54% said the COVID-19 pandemic made them reconsider their partner relationships.

Among female respondents, 34% admitted that after the COVID-19 situation, they felt less sexual attraction to their significant other. For men, 32% responded similarly.

IllicitEncounters had predicted back in April that with the easing of various COVID-19 restrictions and a significant increase in vaccinated people in the UK, there would be a surge in affairs.

At that time, 74% of respondents planned to have affairs. Although this violated social distancing rules, they felt reassured by vaccination.

Among respondents then, 86% showed less aversion to extramarital relationships than before. Many believed that vaccination would provide a protective shield.

Some caused trouble even before the vaccine's effects fully appeared. The survey found that 44% of those under 30 sought partners for flings despite lockdown orders.